Temporally and spectrally resolved imaging of laser-induced plasmas

Abstract

We report a hybrid imaging technique capable of performing measurements of the spatial, temporal, and spectral emission characteristics of laser-induced plasmas by use of a single detection system. We apply this technique to study the plasma produced by laser ablation of LiNbO3 and observe phenomena not seen in such detail with standard instruments. These include extreme line broadening up to a few nanometers accompanied by self-absorption near the target surface, and expansion dynamics that differ strongly between the different species. Overall, the wealth of quantitative information provided by this novel technique sheds new light on processes occurring during plasma expansion. © 2004 Optical Society of America. ; G. Epurescu acknowledges funding by the European Union (HPRN-CT-2000-00160). ; Peer Reviewed